The dream destination for the Pro drummer that wants true control. Every element of the drum kit’s sound, look, and feel is player-selected from a limitless palette of custom options. Hand-crafted to heirloom perfection for the ultimate custom drum statement.
Build from scratch and choose:
Shell materials Shell thickness Custom Snare drum Hardware Limitless options of finishes Choose one of the 5 pre-tested drum recipes:
Urban Sonic Select Stadium Sonic Select Studio Sonic Select Heritage Sonic Select Modern Dry Sonic Select
Since 1999, Pearl’s handmade Masterworks drum kits have given the professional drummer the tools to make a totally custom statement with new heights of perfection.
The Masterworks Philosophy - It’s simple: let the drummer call the shots on the construction, sound, look, and feel of the drum kit. Truly custom options, unlike many other "custom drums" companies. Choose every detail of your in the Masterworks drum configurator, from shell composition and thickness, to hardware selection and finish, even bearing edges and a virtually endless pallet of custom finishes. All selected by and built for you by the most elite craftsmen in the drum world. For the ultimate personal and performance statement, Masterworks puts you in control.
Wood Choices For a totally personal sonic signature, of perfection. Masterworks has more options for shell composition than any other custom drum builder; making each drum a truly unique work of art.
Shell Material Options
Maple
The perfect blend of tone, attack, and body. • Ideal for general purpose applications. • Equal tonal amounts of hi-end attack, mid-range body, and low-end punch. • North American hardwood with rich, even grain.
Birch
The precision choice for high-volume cut and power. • Premium “white” wood with marbled, subdued grain. • Boosted hi-end and mellow midrange excellent for stage and studio. • “Built-in EQ” delivers articulate stroke with shorter, even decay
African Mahogany
Deep, powerful punch with dark, elegant tone. • Boosted bottom-end perfect for controlled rooms/studios. • Rich low-end warmth with beautifully smooth midrange sustain and hi-end roll-off. • Porous African wood with rich, dark texture and grain.
Carbonply
Futuristic Carbon combines into a robust spectrum of frequencies. • A 6-ply African Mahogany shell • Full of rich low frequencies • Outer layers of a unique Carbon Fiber • Intense volume and incredible attack.
Gumwood
Explosive projection and increased volume.
Fiberglass
Deep, powerful punch with dark, elegant tone.
Composite Shell
The Ultimate Hybrid. • Combine wood types to sonically blend the characteristics of each material • Each cross-laminated two-ply panel is hand-selected for proper density, grain consistency, and color. • Maple/Birch ideal for outer plies for ease of finishing, while inner Mahogany plies boost bass.
Superior Shell Technology
Pearl’sSuperior Shell Technologyutilizes a proprietary technique for achieving the ultimate air chamber. It begins with select woods chosen for their unique acoustic attributes, milled to precise thickness with overlapping scarf joint seams, for a perfect air-tight fit. The wood plies are saturated with Pearl’s proprietary “AcoustiGlue” that permeates every pore and dries to the exact consistency of the wood for optimum resonance. Finally, the plies are formed in high-temperature molds with 1000 PSI of hydraulic pressure to produce perfect drum shells that exhibit superior tone, optimal resonance and extreme strength.
Great resonance and sustain with top-end “spike.” Maximum tonal note for the near-field environment.
Medium Shell
(6-ply, 7.5mm)
Exceptional for general purpose play. Excellent projection, full-bodied wood tone.
Thick Shell
(8-ply, 10mm and 10-ply, 12.5mm)
Maximum cut and projection with subdued sustain.
Extra Thick Shell
Regular (12mm) & Thin (9mm)
10 Ply. Maximum cut and projection with subdued sustian. High in volume, high in pitch.
Custom Snare Drum
Your handmade snare drum is as custom as the rest of your kit
Pearl's Masterworks custom wood snare drums can be ordered with 1 - 20 ply shells with any number of wood combinations and bearing edges making it them of the most versatile wood snare drums available.
Nothing influences a drum’s overall response more than the bearing edge. That’s why Masterworks gives you three bearing edges from which to choose, and with our new hybrid option, allowing you to mix edge types on batter and resonant side of the same drum.
Standard 45°
Provides the perfect blend of attach and warmth.
Rounded 45°
Pulls brighther overtones from darker shells and increases punch.
Fully Rounded
Edge apex focused to the inner shell plies for controlled tonal response.
Inner 45°
Greater head-to-shell contact boosts mid to high frequencies.
Outer 60°
Boosts mid-to-low range response and reduces decay
Sonic-Select Shell Recipes
The full spectrum of Masterworks choice in sharp focus
Drawing from two years of research and artist testing, Pearl presents Sonic-Select Shell Recipes: five distinct, extensively tested drum formulas each fine-tuned for their given performance application.
By filtering the nearly-endless array of custom options in the Masterworks spectrum down to specific shell, edge, and hardware fusions, each Recipe creates a truly unique sonic signature; clearly defining the Masterworks custom drum experience for the discerning professional.